Signal device having signal light means at each end of a rotating rod



Fela'. 6, 1968 c. H. CLEMENT SIGNAL DEVICE HAVING SIGNAL LIGHT MEANS AT E 3,368,215 ACH END OF A ROTATING ROD Filed March 8, 1965 ,I'YINVENTIOR.

a rag CLEMENT United States Patent 3,368,215 SIGNAL DEVICE HAVING SIGNAL LIGHT MEANS AT EACH END OF A ROTATING ROD Clyde H. Clement, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor of one-sixth each to Raymond C. Binkley, William J. Binkley, and

William A. Uhlig Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,987 1 Claim. (Cl. 340366) My invention relates to a novel attention arresting device, and more particularly to an attention arresting device employing light-transmitting means in motion.

It is an object of my invention to provide an attention arresting assembly which is visually easily perceptible.

It is another objectof my invention to provide an attention arresting assembly which is simple and may be easily produced.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the course of the following specification and claims when taken in view of the accompanying drawings.

In general, my attention arrestor comprises a plurality of support arms mounted on an axis of rotation and having a plurality of light-transmitting means positioned near the outer ends of the support arms. The axis of rotation is power-driven by an electric motor or the like whereby the light-transmitting means are caused to travel in at least one closed arcuate path.

A better understanding of my invention may be obtained in light of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation, partially in section, taken along 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation, partially in section, taken along 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, partially in section, taken along 44 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of my attention arrestor.

Referring to the drawings, a hollow tube is gripped substantially near its center by clamp means 10, thereby to form a pair of support arms 11. The clamping means is secured to the support arms as by bolts 12 or the like and is in turn secured to an axis of rotation 14. Lighttransmitting means 15 are positioned at the ends of the support arms 11 removed from the axis of rotation 14.

Axis or axle 14 rotatably engages a pair of bearing supports 16 and 18 which are in turn supported by a post 19 or other like support means. An electric motor 20 provides power to rotate the axle 14, thereby to impart an arcuate motion to the light-transmitting means 15. Power from the electric motor 20 is transferred by means of a belt 22 and pulley 23 arrangement. The pulley 23 is mounted on the axle 14.

In the embodiment shown, an enclosure means 24 in the form of a box is also provided. The box 24 is bolted to the support member 19. Bearing means 16 and 18 and electric motor 20 are secured to and are supported by the enclosure means 24, thus providing a smooth, uncluttered exterior appearance to my device. It is to be understood, of course, that any other means may be provided to support the bearing means 16 and 18 and the electric motor 20.

Turning to FIGURE 4, a light-transmitting means of the preferred type is illustrated. Support arm 11 is a hollow tube and provides a conduit means for electric wires 30. A housing 31 is mounted over the end of the support arm 11 and is welded thereto as at 32. Housing 31 is shaped in the form of a cylinder having a sealed beam unit of the type employed in automobiles or the like at each end thereof and having a second cylindrical portion 35 extending at right angles to the axis thereof. Section 35 is integral with and forms a portion of housing 31 and also contains a sealed beam unit.

Each sealed beam unit has two twelve-volt circuits, a high beam and a low beam. Each unit is wired in series internally to provide an IR drop of twenty-four volts and is in turn series wired with the other two units in the light-transmitting means 15. When light-transmitting means 15 at both ends of the support arm 11 are series wired, a voltage drop across the light circuit of 144 volts is attainable. Usually available 110-volt household power is satisfactory for use with unit series wired as described.

The light-transmitting means illustrated in FIGURE 4 is mounted on the support arms 11 substantially as shown in FIGURES 1 and 5. The sealed beam units at opposite ends of the cylindrical portion of the housing member 31 are directed at an angle from the plane of rotation of the support arms, preferably at degrees thereto. As is apparent from the drawings, the remaining unit is directed substantially parallel to the plane of rotation of the apparatus. Suitable means, such as slip rings 38, is provided whereby wires 30 communicate with a source of electrical power. I prefer to operate my light-transmitting means and electric motor on separate circuits.

In operation, electric motor 20 causes the support arms 11 to rotate in a defined plane and cause light-transmitting means 15 to define a closed arcuate path. Activation of the light-emission means such as the sealed beam units illustrated in FIGURE 4 causes light-beams to be transmitted in three directions fro each light-transmitting means v15. The result is a visually stimulating, easily discernible, attention arresting display. For variety, the lenses of sealed beam units 34 may be colored, may be a combination of different colors, may be clear, or may be a combination of clear and colored lenses.

While I have described an attention arrestor having two illuminated light-transmitting means positioned at the ends of a pair of equal-length support arms, it is to be understood that any number of support arms may be employed and the distance of a light-transmitting means may be varied so as to provide a plurality of closed arcuate paths therefor.

It is to be further understood that, when I refer to a light-transmitting means, I refer to a light-reflecting means as well as to a light-emitting means.

Various modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, and it is to be understood that I limit myself only as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

1. An attention arrestor comprising a plurality of support arms mounted on an axle, hearing supports rotatably engaging said axle, a plurality of electrically powered light-transmitting means positioned near the outer ends of said support arms, said light-transmitting means comprising a cylindrical housing mounted at right angles to its support arm and having a second integral cylindrical portion extending parallel to said support arm, said housing and said second cylindrical portion holding sealed beam units in their respective open circular ends, said sealed beam units communicating with a source of electrical power through a pair of slip rings on said axle, and power means co-operating with said axle whereby said light-transmitting means are caused to travel in at least one closed arcuate path, said power means comprising an electric motor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 913,974 3/1909 Pettey 340-366 Tregoning 340-366 Levien 340-366 Rumsey 340-366 Rumsey 340-366 THOMAS B. HABECKER, Acting Primary Examiner.

NEIL C. READ, Examiner.

10 I. J. LEVIN, H. PITTS, Assistant Examiners. 

1. AN ATTENTION ARRESTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT ARMS MOUNTED ON AN AXLE, HEARING SUPPORTS ROTATABLY ENGAGING SAID AXLE, A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY POWERED LIGHT-TRANSMITTING MEANS POSITIONED NEAR THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT ARMS, SAID LIGHT-TRANSMITTING MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING MOUNTED AT A RIGH ANGLES TO TIS SUPPORT ARM AND HAVING A SECOND INTEGRAL CYLINDRICAL PORTION EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SUPPORT ARM, SAID HOUSING THE SAID SECOND CYLINDRICAL PORTION HOLDING SEALED BEAM UNITS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE OPEN CIRCULAR ENDS, SAID 